Can opener



April 22 1924. V C. T. HAWLEY CANUPENER Filed Jan. 9. 1922 22 f- Patented pr. 22,' 1924.

UNH'I'ED 'STATES' ortica.,

CHARLES T. HAWLEY, HOLDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T WORCESTER PRESSED ALUMINUM COMPANY, A CORPORATIQN OF MASSACHUSETTS.

CAN OPENER.

-Application led January 9, 1922. Serial No. 527,841.

To all whom t may concer/n,.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. HAWLEY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Holden, in the county of Worcester and e State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Can Opener, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a can opener of the type in which the edge or rim of the can is severed by means of a rotary ldisc cutter.

It is the general object of my invention to provide an improved device of this description which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture and which is efficient and satisfactory in use. l

With this general object in view, an important feature of my invention relates to the provision of a can opener in which the cutter is free to revolve independently of the feed wheel or wheels with which it is associated.

Other features of my invention will be hereinafter described and more particularly as pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved can opener;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view with the parts in a different position; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are detailed sectional views taken along the lines 1--41 and 5-5 in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a can opener comprising a pair of levers or handles 10 and `11 pivotally secured to each other by a rivet or other fastening device 12. A feed roll 13 is xed to a headed stud 14 which extends freely through the end of the handle 10', the roll being thus freely rotatable upon the handle.

A bearing 15 is formed on the end of the handle 11 and a shaft 16 is rotatably mounted in the bearing 15. A bushing 17 is secured on the outer end ofthe shaft 16. A disc cutter 18 is freely rotatable on the bushing 17 and a feed wheel 19 is closely and 19, the disc 18 being at the same time forced against the side of l the can. The

v.feed roll 19 is then rotated by means of the handle 22, ,moving the `can past the cutter 18, which severs the top of the can from the body portion thereof. As the cutter 18 is free to rotate) by contact with the can the difference in diameter of the cutter 18 and feed roll I9 does not cause the cutter to be dragged through the can at a speed faster than tlie movement of the can surface would re uire.

aving thus described my invention, I

`do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is :-l

1. can opener having, in combination, a pair of pivoted handles, a feed roll mounted on one of said handles, a co-operating feed roll rotatably mounted upon the second handle, manual means to rotate the latter feed roll, and a disc cutter mounted for free rotation about the axis of said latter 'feed roll. 

